El-Hadary on way to becoming oldest to play at a World Cup

Liverpool's Mohamed Salah celebrates scoring his side's first goal of the game during their English Premier League soccer match against Brighton & Hove Albion at Anfield, Liverpool. England, Sunday, May 13, 2018. (Dave Thompson/PA via AP)

FILE - In this March 13, 2018 file photo, Argentinian coach of the Egyptian national soccer team, Hector Cuper, gives a press conference at the Egyptian football federation in Cairo, Egypt. Issam al-Hadary is on his way to becoming the oldest person to play in a World Cup match. On Monday, May 14, 2018, the 45-year-old goalkeeper was chosen by Cuper in a 29-man preliminary World Cup squad. Mohamed Salah and Mohamed Elneny were also picked in the squad. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil, File)

CAIRO — Essam el-Hadary is on his way to becoming the oldest person to play in a World Cup match.

The 45-year-old goalkeeper was chosen by Egypt coach Hector Cuper in a 29-man preliminary World Cup squad on Monday.

El-Hadary could eclipse the record set by Colombia goalkeeper Faryd Mondragon, who was 43 when he played at the last World Cup in Brazil.

Egypt qualified for the World Cup for the first time since 1990. The team will play in Group A along with host Russia, Saudi Arabia and Uruguay. A final 23-member squad must be submitted to FIFA by early June.

In an unsurprising move, Mohamed Salah was also picked in the squad. The Liverpool forward won the golden boot as the top scorer in the English Premier League.

Mohamed Elneny, an Arsenal midfielder who is still recovering from an ankle injury, was also named in the squad ahead of friendlies against Kuwait, Colombia and Belgium.

"We have achieved some goals, but we have not reached the ceiling of our ambitions," said Cuper, who has been in charge since 2015. "The journey is difficult. All teams are tough. But who dares take away our ambition?"